Jarmok: Everything seems much larger than you remember it being. The trees are taller, the bushes are bigger but your step is shorter. You run in an even stride and your balance is much keener than you?re accustomed to. You easily duck and dodge any branches that appear before you. With feline grace you jump upon a rock blistering through the ground. You look around not really knowing where you are. You descend from the rock and continue on your way through the night. Slowly your vision fades out. You wake up at dawn to find yourself stretched across the woodpile just outside of your back door. Your back is a bit creaky and your head aches a bit. You are suddenly hit by a wall of hunger and thirst.

Maal: you are out on your daybreak patrol enjoying the delicious solitude and peace of these quiet hours. To the east is the humble glow of Kossuth waking from it?s slumber. Soon it, and all of the folk, will be up and about on their daily toil. There is a delicate and even sheet of mist gently wrapping this river valley in it?s embrace. Walking in determined strides you begin to make your way to the Overspan. In the distance you can hear the pounding of the waterfall known by the locals as ?The Hammer?. As you walk across the Overspan and look to your left and see the waterfall. You can barely feel the spray of the water kissing your face. It is cool and soothing offering you a bit a peace on your vigilant march. You continue to the other side of the bridge and further ahead on the road you see a small silhouette emerging from the thin morning mist. You hold fast your spear and grip the handle of your shield just a little tighter. You?re ready for anything. The silhouette becomes more distinct. It?s a little girl. She is in a torn and dirty underdress and her face is filthy with dirt and blood. Her blond hair is mussed and greasy looking. Her feet are bare and painted with dried blood. She looks at you blankly and shaking as if she?d seen a ghost. She looks familiar.

Laren: a blinding light fades and you see amidst the trees a dark cave before you with skewed rusted rail tracks coming out. You hear piercing death screams. The light fades in and out again and you then see a busted and broken carriage and two bloody and hacked horses surrounded in purple mist. The light blinds you once again then fades to reveal the face of a beautiful raven haired woman in a dark cloak reaching towards you. The screams come again. With a start you wake up with breathless and with an awful headache. Your sheets are tossed about and you see that they are torn violently.

Kit: you see his face. his sneering ratty face. he says ?I will find you. You know I will. And when I do I?ll do it all over again?.hahahaha?. a deep bass humming starts to fill your ears. Your blood gets hot and heart starts to race. Rage fills every fiber of your existence. With determined focus you release your rage. You aim to destroy him utterly and without mercy. You wake suddenly to the sounds of splintering wood and shattering glass. You find yourself standing in the middle of your room looking at a blown out window and a destroyed ceramic pitcher and mug. You feel your face is hot and you?re heart is pounding uncontrollably. Your sleeping gown is soaked with your own sweat. Your eyes are filled with tears and you begin to sob uncontrollably.

Ragnar: you look down and you see the brands on your hands bleeding. You see shackles bound with chains on your wrists. At your feet is a candle burning with white light. Around you are dancing shadows laughing and snickering. Slowly the shadows creep closer and closer. They lash out scraping and scratching you. You swing back with your bound hands hitting emptiness. The shadows come ever closer surrounding you, embracing you. Then the light from the candle goes out. Your eyes snap open and you see that you?re swinging at the air with your wrists pressed against each other. You also hear a deep muffled hum and then glass shattering from within another room.

Maal approaches the dirty and bloodied little girl and asks what has happened, but the only words that she will speak are ?Momma and Poppa?. The wildlander hesitates for an endless moment and then grabs the girl up into her arms. The little girl clings to Maal as the wildlander woman carries her through the town heading to the Council House.

However, on the way, Maal runs into Jarmok who is returning through town to his cabin. She briefly explains the situation and Jarmok tells her to go to Julius' house instead. Maal follows him through the town.

Yet, as they approach the Rosewalk bridge they hear a loud crash from the nearby Thornhedge Inn. Jarmok looks over to see that splinters of wood and glass have fallen to the street from a second story window. He moves to investigate while Maal continues onward to Julius' home.

Jarmok enters the inn, climbs the stairs to the room from which the glass window had been broken and pounds upon the door. Kit is still shaken from her dream, though, and fails to answer, but recognizing the possibility of danger she loads her crossbow and levels it at the door, intending to shoot whatever might be outside her door. Jarmok, becoming increasingly concerned, breaks the door in and enters hastily, fearing that something is wrong. He only finds Kit in her night clothes, however. Kit, thankfully, recognizes Jarmok and pulls up her weapon, asking what on earth he is doing breaking down her door.

Kit is embarrased a little, and hastily explains that she was only trying to open the window and accidentally hit her head, shattering the glass.

Jarmok apologizes and withdraws out to the hallway. He returns downstairs somewhat perplexed.

Kit follows to talk to Keltan and explain about the noise and mess. Ragnar and Laren have also appeared to investigate the noise. Kit returns to her room for a bath and Jarmok leaves to catch up with Maal.

Laren leaves and heads directly to the Mushroom o' the Stump tavern expecting to get some breakfast. However, he arrives and finds that they haven't even opened for business yet. He sees someone moving about inside and knocks upon the door. Garret answers, dressed in a loin cloth (his bed clothes!?) and Laren immediatley apologizes for calling at such an early hour. Instead of leaving, though, he offers to help out in the kitchen and Garret welcomes him inside.

Meanwhile, Maal arrives at Julius' house with the little girl and pounds loudly on the door. The housekeeper eventually lets her inside and Julius appears to find out what is going on. Maal explains that she found the girl on the south-east outskirts of the town. She recognizes the girl as belonging to the family that had entered the inn on the same morning that Kit and Ragnar had saved the boy from drowning (on Gorrish Arek Arkus 237). Maal is very uncomfortable holding the little girl and finally hands her off to Julius. The wildlander then leaves abruptly to gather the others.

She meets up with Jarmok again as she is crossing back over the Rosewalk. They return to the inn together where they find Ragnar eating his breakfast. Jarmok leaves to find Laren, while Maal climbs the stairs to call on Kit. Maal pounds on Kit's door. Kit, finally in the middle of her relaxing morning bath, calls out and Maal answers that there is trouble. Kit begins to explain about the window, but Maal answers that there is another problem. She tells Kit to meet them downstairs and leaves.

Returning to the common room, Maal explains the situation to Ragnar as they wait for everyone to gather. A strange bald-headed, tattooed man [Hafaeveraal] listens intently as he eats his soup.

Meanwhile, Jarmok enters the Stump and calls for Laren who emerges from the kitchen wearing an apron and wielding a hot pan full of fried eggs. Jarmok indicates that Laren should follow him and leaves. Laren passes the pan off to Garret and exits quickly, following Jarmok back to the inn.

After everyone has finally gathered in the common room at the inn, Maal encourages them to follow her, promising to explain the details on the way. As they are heading towards the door, Hafaeveraal, the tattooed stranger, stands and offers to help them. Maal gives him the once over - he is a tall, well-built warrior, wearing a kilt - and then invites him to follow along.

The party walks southward to the spot where Maal had found the little girl. Here, Jarmok takes the lead, following the girl's tracks along the old road. They soon come across a ruined carriage. Crossbow bolts stick out of the wooden sides of the cart and two dead horses being eaten by crows lie on the ground ahead of it. Large chunks of flesh are missing from the dead beasts and after talking a closer look Jarmok notices talon marks in the horse flesh.

Jarmok investigates the area as the others stand around waiting, trying to be careful not to tramp on any of the tracks. Jarmok eventually picks up the trail again and the party follows him deeper into the wilderness where they soon discover a cave entrance set into a cliff face. There are also mining rail tracks here leading into the cave entrance.

With weapons at the ready, the party decides to enter the cave and investigate.

The marching order is thus:JarmokHafaeveraalMaalLarenKit (carrying the torch)Ragnar

The interior of the cave is a mine tunnel. The floor has one set of rails and the roof and walls are supported by wooden beams and trusses. Jarmok follows the rail tracks about thirty feet eastward, but halts when he notices a trip wire across the floor of the tunnel. After a pause to investigate, everyone steps over the trip wire and continues onward.

They soon enter a 30' x 30? chamber. The mining rails continue straight ahead through the chamber and onward down another passage. Three rusty sets of rails split off to the right, where there are five mining carts. There are also forges on left side of the chamber and several skeletons (a few of which are recognized as dwarf-sized) - quite probably the remnants of a battle.

Maal and Hafaeveraal stand guard looking down the passage ahead while the others investigate the chamber. Kit cautiously approaches one of the mining carts, but as she closes in, a small lizard-man [kobold] suddenly jumps up from inside the cart and fires a crossbow bolt at her.

The bolt misses the intended target, though, striking the ground near Kit's feet instead. Kit fires back quickly and then immediately drops the torch to the ground as she reloads her crossbow with a fresh bolt. Hafaeveraal charges in to attack with his shortsword. The kobold screeches loudly as it dies upon his sword.

The scream fades gradually into the distance, leaving only silence. However, Maal and Hafaeveraal soon hear some distant sounds coming from down the passage. Something or someone has been alerted to their presence.

Kit, Hafaeveraal and Ragnar continue to investigate the mining carts. Laren searches over the dead kobold and secretly filches a pouch.

As Kit and Ragnar approach two more of the carts, two more kobolds suddenly leap up from within! Ragnar exchanges crossbow fire with one, but they both miss each other. Kit kills the other with a bolt through the neck. Ragnar abandons his crossbow and impales his kobold adversary on his spear. Hafaeveraal is disappointed to find only rocks in his cart.

Jarmok and Maal hear louder sounds approaching from the passage now. Jarmok moves off to one side of the passageway in a good position to ambush whatever or whoever may enter. Maal likewise moves off to the opposite side.

Meanwhile, Kit investigates the kobold she has just killed. She finds a large belt pouch.

The sounds from the passage are getting louder now. There seem to be several kobolds whispering to one another as they approach the chamber. Kit hides quickly in a mining cart, while Laren blends into the murky shadows at the back of the cavern. Ragnar hides behind one of the mining carts.

Hafaeveraal approaches and stands before the passage with only his studded cesti as weapons. He is hoping to lure them into the chamber allowing Jarmok and Maal to ambush them from the sides.

Several arrows suddenly whistle by. Hafaeveraal is struck twice and retreats quickly, hamming it up, trying to draw the kobolds into chamber. He runs off to the side out of the line of fire and hides behind a cart, pretending to cower from his attackers. Kit is concerned for his welfare, but he is too far away for her to check on him.

Eventually, Maal spies a kobold poking its snout into the chamber. She shrinks back against the wall, hiding, hoping that they will all enter into the trap. The kobolds proceed very cautiously, though, as they enter. Laren and Kit suddenly open fire just as Jarmok launches his own attack from one side with his axe.

A brief, but bloody battle with several kobolds follows.

Maal and Ragnar attacks with their spears while Hafaeveraal fights with his sword. Maal is struck in the toe by a sword-weilding kobold, but the kobolds are quickly slaughtered without any further injuries to the party. Kit finally recovers her torch following the battle.

After a brief discussion on how to proceed, Jarmok and Laren sneak about thirty feet down the passage, while the others wait patiently in the chamber. The torchlight fades behind them, though, and Jarmok finds it necessary to lead Laren carefully in the darkness. Jarmok soon finds that the passage turns left, yet opens into a chamber straight ahead and to the right. The chamber is similar to the other room. There are two sets of tracks with mining carts here.

Jarmok sees the carcus of a huge spider just within the entrance way to the chamber. Laren hears a slight creaking noise and Jarmok notices a movement in the dimness at the edge of his vision. They quietly retreat to the first chamber, rejoining the party.

Jarmok explains as best he can what he has seen, drawing diagrams in the dirt at their feet. The party formulates a plan. It is decided that they will all advance to investigate the next chamber, but that Jarmok will go well ahead of the party and their torchlight to take advantage of the darkness and his low-light vision.

Putting the agreed upon plan into motion, Jarmok sneaks ahead and the party follows behind at a distance. Jarmok approaches the chamber as quietly as possible and peers within. Suddenly, he sees a kobold dart out from behind a mining cart, heading to a passage on the opposite side of the chamber. Jarmok reacts by throwing an axe at the fleeing kobold, but he misses.

Jarmok then charges in, yelling loudly, so that the others will be sure to hear his attack and will hopefully come quickly. He is caught flat-footed, however, and hit twice by a much larger lizard-man attacking with club and claw. Jarmok recovers in time, however, to block another set of attacks and then stands fast to fight back.

The others hear the commotion and charge down the passageway to help. Hafaeveraal arrives first and attempts to grapple the lizard-man. He succeeds in grabbing the lizard-man just as Jarmok strikes the creature with his axe. Maal arrives and stabs it viciously with her spear.

The lizard-man (which is actually a troglodyte) suddenly exudes a cloud of gas! Kit, Jarmok and Laren are all affected by the poisonous gas [fail save = -2 on rolls for 10 mins]. Hafaeveraal manages to pin the troglodyte down to the ground and Jarmok slices its belly open with his axe, killing it.

The battle is not over however, as three kobolds have emerged from the mining carts and begun firing crossbow bolts at the party. Ragnar, Kit and Laren return fire, but all miss (Kit just missing due to her queasiness from the troglodyte's gas).

Maal charges across the room at the kobolds and kills one as they fire off another volley of bolts. Ragnar closes in and engages the nearest kobold with his spear. The kobold abandons his crossbow and slashes Ragnar with a shortsword.

Kit fires another bolt, missing again as Hafaeveraal charges in and hacks down one of the kobolds.

Jarmok notices three other figures moving around in the darkness. He suddenly runs in the direction of the first fleeing kobold that he had spotted. Kit, carrying the torch, follows him.

Ragnar and Hafaeveraal team up on the last kobold, but he manages to elude them. Laren finally hits the kobold with an arrow. The kobold, badly wounded, drops his weapon and cowers on the ground. Maal steps in and brutally murders the unarmed kobold with a thrust of her spear.

Meanwhile, Jarmok and Kit see three more troglodytes approaching. Jarmok fires an arrow while, at the same moment, Kit blasts the same troglodyte with her psi power. The troglodyte explodes just as the arrow strikes it's mark! This time, though, Jarmok senses a peculiar buzzing emenating from Kit's head. Laren?s mouth drops open and his eye's widen upon seeing the troglodyte explode. He is also just close enough this time to notice the strange buzzing.

There is no time for immediate discussion, however, as the two remaining troglodytes close in quickly. Laren fires off a poisoned arrow, striking one of them and Jarmok strikes the other with his axe. Kit blasts the same troglodyte with another burst of psi power. The troglodyte is hurt badly, but not dead. It is in quite a lot of pain, though.

Maal, Ragnar and Hafaeveraal close in and join the fray. Ragnar and Jarmok both miss. Kit moves back from the melee about fifteen feet and prepares to fire her crossbow. Maal strikes the poisoned troglodyte with her spear while Laren misses the other one with an arrow. Hafaeveraal strikes with his sword, killing the poisioned troglodyte.

Ragnar tries demoralizing the last troglodyte with his psionic powers. Jarmok and Maal both miss as one of Laren's arrows whistles by and strikes it's target. Jarmok deflects the troglodyte's club, but is then bitten by the creature. He falls down to one knee, hurt badly.

Ragnar fires a bolt, but misses. Jarmok lurches forward from one knee and strikes the troglodyte in the gut with his axe, finally killing the beast.

"See!? You all see that? That's what happened last time!" Laren cries out. He looks at Jarmok, "What the hell are you doing to these things? How do you make things explode!?" Laren looks at Kit, "And what the hell is that buzzing?" Laren waits for some replies but gets none. "You all saw that, yes?"

"Don't know," Jarmok replies as he rises unsteadily, badly wounded. "Is good, though, yes?" He smiles a little looking at the ground, then winces and shifts uncomfortably and leans heavily against the tunnel wall.

"W...Y... I ... I guess," Laren answers. "But why to things explode like that? How do we know one of us won't be next? Last thing I need right now is bits of my head all over the place!"

Jarmok's only reply is, "Don't bite me."

Laren stands there, mouth closed and eyes wide. He looks one by one to everyone else.

Finally, after a moment or two of silence, Laren sniffs loudly, shakes his head and rubs his temples. He looks about the room for anything interesting so he doesn't have to look at anyone else. He clearly does not want the attention of the group anymore.

Jarmok eventually forces himself to continue onward and the party follows. They eventually come to a huge 60 x 100 foot chamber. The party pauses and listens carefully... They hear some groaning from not far away - possibly captives. Jarmoks leads the group forward and they finally find eight human captives tied to the cavern wall. Five of the humans are missing body parts and, after some investigation, only two are actually found to be alive. The living folks are cut loose. Jarmok looks around quickly. The passage continues on through this chamber to yet more unexplored areas. However, all in the party agree that they need to return these wounded folk to the town and recouperate themselves before continuing onward.

Ragnar carries the woman and Maal takes the boy as the party makes their way back towards the town. Jarmok runs off ahead to warn Ash of the incoming wounded. He also pays Julius a brief visit before heading home to clean himself up and rest. The others eventually arrive and drop off the injured folk at Ash's house...

Yeah, I can take care of that as well, but I don't think that I'd do that for a few days so as to let Phin and Dray input as well; Dray tends to take time, and Phin might not even show up, but I'd like to give them the opportunity.